Wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor

ABSTRACT

A wall-mounting support assembly is disclosed to include a bracket holding a flat-panel monitor, a wall mount affixed to a flat wall surface, a holder block fastened to the wall mount and holding a vertical axle, a swivel rack fastened to the bracket and pivoted to the vertical axle, a transmission device mounted in the swivel rack, a sun gear affixed to the vertical axle, a planet gear mounted in the swivel rack and meshed with the sun gear and rotatable by the transmission device to turn the swivel rack about the vertical axle, and a control circuit for controlling the operation of the transmission device for allowing the user to adjust the angular position of the flat-panel monitor by means of a remote controller.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a flat-panel support assembly and more particularly, to a wall-mounting support assembly to support a flat-panel monitor that allows horizontal rotation of the flat-panel monitor.

2. Description of the Related Art

The manufacturing technique of flat-panel monitor, such as LCD monitor, LCD TV, or plasma TV, is getting mature. In consequence, the market share of flat-panel monitor is getting increased. A flat-panel monitor has the advantages of thin, light, and space-saving characteristics, and is mountable on a tabletop or flat wall surface.

A flat-panel monitor, more particularly, a LCD TV or flat-panel TV has a limited view angle. It is the best view angle to keep the view line perpendicular to the screen. Therefore, a flat-panel monitor may need to rotate the flat-panel monitor horizontally to obtain a better view. Normally, a big screen flat-panel TV is installed in the living room. In a big living room having a big active space, a person watching the TV may need to adjust the horizontal angle of the flat-panel TV frequently. However, adjustment of the horizontal angle of a flat-panel TV on a conventional wall-mounting support device must be done manually. It brings inconvenience to the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor, which uses electric power to rotate the supported flat-panel monitor horizontally for view angle adjustment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor, which allows adjustment of the view angle of the supported flat-panel monitor by means of a remote controller.

To achieve these and other objects and according to one aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly comprises a bracket adapted to hold a flat-panel monitor, a wall mount for fastened to a flat wall surface, a holder block coupled to the wall mount, and a vertical axle fixedly mounted in the holder block, and a swivel rack fastened to the bracket and pivotally coupled to the vertical axle. The wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a transmission device mounted in the swivel rack, a planet gear mechanism, which comprises a sun gear affixed to the vertical axle and a planet gear mounted in the swivel rack and meshed with the sun gear and rotatable by the transmission device, and a control circuit adapted to control operation of the transmission device. The holder block, the vertical axle and the sun gear constitute a planet carrier of the planet gear mechanism.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a torque limiter set between the sun gear and the vertical axle. In one embodiment of the present invention, the torque limiter is a friction pad.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises two limit switches respectively disposed in two opposite lateral sides of the holder block and electrically connected to the control circuit and adapted to cut off power supply from the transmission device when the swivel rack is turned about the vertical axle in one of two reversed directions to a predetermined angle.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises at least one ball bearing disposed between the swivel rack and the vertical axle, and a thrust bearing disposed between the swivel rack and the holder block.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a speed reduce mechanism coupled between the transmission device and the planet gear.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a folding support arm assembly coupled between the holder block and the wall mount.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a tilt angle adjustment device mounted in the bracket and adapted to adjust the tilt angle of the flat-panel monitor that is mounted on the bracket.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises an infrared remote-control receiver electrically connected to the control circuit and adapted to receive control signals from an external infrared remote controller for controlling the control circuit to start, stop, and reverse the transmission device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a part of the wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of an alternate form of the present invention, showing a disk spring set between the run gear and the vertical axle.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the wall-mounting support assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the swivel rack and the holder block of another alternate form of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the wall-mounting support assembly according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a wall-mounting support assembly for flat-panel monitor in accordance with the present invention is shown comprising a bracket 4 for holding a flat-panel monitor, swivel rack 1 connected to the bracket 4, a wall mount 2 for fastening to a flat wall, a holder block 5 coupled to the bracket 4 through the swivel rack 1, a folding support arm assembly 3 coupled between the holder block 5 and the wall mount 2, and a screen tilt angle adjustment device 6 installed in the bracket 4 for adjusting the tilt angle of the supported flat-panel monitor. The holder block 5 is fastened to the front end of the folding support arm assembly 3 with a fasteners 8, for example, screw bolts. The folding support arm assembly 3 is adapted to adjust the distance between the supported flat-panel monitor and the wall as well as the initial horizontal turn angle.

The swivel rack 1 and the holder block 5 are pivotally coupled together with a vertical axle 7. As illustrated, the vertical axle 7 is mounted in a through hole of the holder block 5 and secured thereto with a holding down member 9, for example, holding down screw. The vertical axle 7 has its two distal ends extending out of the through hole of the holder block 5. The swivel rack 1 has two lugs respectively coupled to the two distal ends of the axle 7 outside the holder block 5. The lugs of the swivel rack 1 are respectively mounted with a respective ball bearing 10 of which the inner race is supported on the axle 7. The bottom side of each lug of the swivel rack 1 is respectively supported on the holder block 5 by means of a respective ball collar thrust bearing 11. Thus, the swivel rack 1 and the holder block 5 are pivotally coupled together by means of the vertical axle 7, forming a hinge.

For allowing horizontal rotation of the swivel rack 1 relative to the holder block 5, a planet gear mechanism is used. According to this embodiment, the sun gear 12 of the planet gear mechanism is fixedly mounted on the top end of the vertical axle 7 by means of a screw nut 22 and a friction pad 13. During normal working, the sun gear 12 does not rotate relative to the vertical axle 7. The holder block 5, the vertical axle 7 and the sun gear 12 constitute a planet gear mechanism rack. The transmission device 15, for example, motor and the planet gear 14 of the planet gear mechanism are mounted together in the swivel rack 1. The planet gear 14 is meshed with the sun gear 12, and rotatable by the transmission device 15 through a speed reduce mechanism 16. The swivel rack 1 serves as a planet carrier for the planet gear mechanism. When the transmission device 15 drives the planet gear 14 to rotate, the planet gear 14 is forced to turn the swivel rack 1 about the vertical axle 7.

The invention further comprises a control circuit board mounted in a control box 17, and two limit switches 18 respectively disposed at two opposite sides of the holder block 5. The limit switches 18 are electrically connected to the control circuit board in the control box 17. When turning the swivel rack 1 about the vertical axle 7 clockwise or counter-clockwise to a predetermined angle, one lateral side 1 a of the swivel rack 1 immediately trigger one associating limit switch 18, causing it to cut off power supply from the transmission device 15, assuring system safety.

The circuit system of the present invention further comprises an infrared remote-control receiver electrically connected to the control circuit of the transmission device 15 for receiving infrared control signal from an infrared remote controller to control start, pause, reverse actions of the transmission device 15.

As stated above, the sun gear 12 is mounted on the top end of the vertical axle 7, and secured thereto by the screw nut 22 and the friction pad 13. Therefore, the sun gear 12 does not rotate relative to the vertical axle 7. The maximum torque transferable between the sun gear 12 and the vertical axle 7 is determined subject to the tightness of the screw nut 22. The tightness of the screw nut 22 must be sufficient to prevent slipping between the sun gear 12 and the vertical axle 7 during normal working of the planet gear mechanism. Therefore, it is suggested to use a wrench when fastening up the screw nut 22. If the wall-mounting support assembly gets stuck accidentally to cause an overload of the transmission device 15, the sun gear 12 and the vertical axle 7 will slip relative to each other, preventing burnout of the transmission device 15 or damage of the planet gear mechanism. Further, in case of power failure, the user can return the wall-mounting support assembly to its former position with the hands. In this case, the screw nut 22 must be loosened for allowing movement between the sun gear 12 and the vertical axle 7 to prevent jamming of the gear between the swivel rack 1 and the holder block 5.

In an alternate form of the present invention as shown in FIG. 3, a disk spring 19 is set between the sun gear 12 and the vertical axle 7 to limit the torque. The disk spring 19 is more stable than the friction pad 13 in controlling the holding down pressure. According to this embodiment, the screw nut 22 can be fastened tight by hand without a wrench.

In another alternate form of the present invention as shown in FIG. 5, the transmission device 15 drives a pinion 20 to rotate the planet gear 14 through a transmission gear 21. The transmission gear 21 and the planet gear 14 construct a tower wheel. The planet gear 14 of the tower wheel is meshed with the sun gear 12. Therefore, the centerlines of the pinion 20, planet gear 14 and sun gear 12 are arranged on the front side of the swivel rack 1 in a parallel manner. This embodiment allows the diameter of the sun gear 12 to be made relatively smaller to reduce the vertical size H of the swivel rack 1.

In still another alternate form of the present invention as shown in FIG. 6, the aforesaid folding support arm assembly is eliminated, and the holder block 5 is directly coupled to the wall mount 2.

As stated above, the invention uses a transmission device to drive a planet gear mechanism, causing the swivel rack to be turned about the vertical axle at the holder block, and therefore the screen of the flat-panel monitor is rotated horizontally to the desired angle. Therefore, the user needs only to control the control circuit of the transmission device to achieve horizontal rotation of the screen of the flat-panel monitor easily. More particularly, the use of the infrared remote-control receiver to control the transmission device allows the user to adjust the position of the flat-panel monitor without leaving from the seat. By means of the infrared remote controller, the user can control start, pause, or reverse function of the transmission device to rotate the screen of the flat-panel monitor to the desired angle. The wall-mounting support assembly of the invention is most suitable for use in a living room having a big active space for supporting a flat-panel TV. When watching TV, the user can directly and accurately adjust the angle of the flat-panel TV by means of the infrared remote controller without leaving from the seat. The design of the present invention brings great convenience to disabled persons, aged persons, or children.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. A wall-mounting support assembly comprising a bracket adapted to hold a flat-panel monitor, a wall mount for fastened to a flat wall surface, a holder block coupled to said wall mount, and a vertical axle fixedly mounted in said holder block, and a swivel rack fastened to said bracket and pivotally coupled to said vertical axle, wherein the wall-mounting support assembly further comprises a transmission device mounted in said swivel rack; a planet gear mechanism, said planet gear mechanism comprising a sun gear affixed to said vertical axle and a planet gear mounted in said swivel rack and meshed with said sun gear and rotatable by said transmission device, said holder block and said vertical axle and said sun gear constructing a planet carrier of said planet gear mechanism; and a control circuit adapted to control operation of said transmission device.
 2. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a torque limiter set between said sun gear and said vertical axle.
 3. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein said torque limiter is a friction pad.
 4. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising two limit switches respectively disposed in two opposite lateral sides of said holder block and electrically connected to said control circuit and adapted to cut off power supply from said transmission device when said swivel rack is turned about said vertical axle in one of two reversed directions to a predetermined angle.
 5. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one ball bearing disposed between said swivel rack and said vertical axle.
 6. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a thrust bearing disposed between said swivel rack and said holder block.
 7. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a speed reduce mechanism coupled between said transmission device and said planet gear.
 8. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a folding support arm assembly coupled between said holder block and said wall mount.
 9. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a tilt angle adjustment device mounted in said bracket and adapted to adjust the tilt angle of the flat-panel monitor that is mounted on said bracket.
 10. The wall-mounting support assembly as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an infrared remote-control receiver electrically connected to said control circuit and adapted to receive control signals from an external infrared remote controller for controlling said control circuit to start, stop, and reverse said transmission device. 